


Everyone Needs a Hobby

by Piinutbutter



Category: Murcielago (Manga)
Genre: Fluff, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-19
Updated: 2018-03-19
Packaged: 2019-04-04 10:56:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 637
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14018751
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Piinutbutter/pseuds/Piinutbutter
Summary: Since getting involved with Kuroko, handing a sword to a nine-year-old serial killer isn't even close to the most dangerous thing Chiyo's done.





	Everyone Needs a Hobby

“Show Ringo your sword.”

A small hand tugged at Chiyo’s sleeve. She glanced away from Kuroko’s worn discount store cookbook to see Hinako bouncing on the balls of her feet.

“My sword?”

“Mhm!” Hinako gave her a winning smile. “You know, the cool one I see you practicing with when Kuro and I come to visit?”

Chiyo closed the book gently, bookmarking a page filled with fancy fish dishes. Kuroko had promised to cook her anything she wanted tonight, and Chiyo didn’t know the meaning of cheap taste. She turned to give Hinako her full attention and rubbed the girl’s shoulder. It was hard not to be charmed by Kuroko’s eager assistant (at least, after Chiyo had established that Kuroko was not actively attempting to sleep with her).

“Why does Rinko want to see my sword?”

“Oh, she didn’t ask for it or anything. But she’s been feeling down lately, right?”

Chiyo had noticed. The newest addition to Kuroko’s household was a complicated little thing. Even if Chiyo didn’t know her full story, it was hard not to see how much Rinko resisted allowing herself happiness.

“So I was thinking,” Hinako continued, “Ringo has those knives that she loves. And a sword is basically a bigger, cooler knife, right?”

“That’s sweet of you, Hinako, but I don’t know. I don’t want Rinko to hurt herself on accident.” Even if Rinko was far from a normal kid, and Kuroko had warped Chiyo’s perception of “normal” to absurd degrees, Chiyo’s inner bad idea bell still rung at the thought of handing a sword to a child.

“She won’t!” Hinako insisted. “Have you seen how she handles her knives? She’s awesome!”

“I’m sure she is, but I’m sorry. I still don’t think it’s a good idea.”

Chiyo began to pull away. Hinako grabbed her hand in both of hers, and stared up at her with wide, earnest eyes.

“Pleeease?”

...Damn. No wonder Kuroko couldn't say no to this girl.

 

* * *

 

“Rinko?”

The girl looked up from the couch. A plush bunny was tucked under one arm, while her hands were busy sharpening one of her oh-so-important knives.

“Hm?”

Chiyo approached her, something long and bulky and not at all hidden clutched behind her back. “Hinako told me you might be curious about the weapon I use to spar.” She held out the hand-decorated case for her (thankfully dull) practice sword. It had been a gift from her father, but somehow, Chiyo trusted Rinko to handle it with care if she handled it at all. “Does that sound like something you’re interested in?”

Wordlessly, Rinko stood up, her dull eyes running along the length of the case. She looked up to Chiyo, then back to the sword, and the smallest of smiles appeared on her face.

 

* * *

 

Kuroko returned home with her arms weighed down by grocery bags. She’d gotten Chiyo’s text containing her dinner of choice and picked out ingredients accordingly. She was looking forward to giving her forearms a break, but she stopped in place a moment after she hip-bumped her apartment door open.

Chiyo was leaning over Rinko, showing her the proper starting stance to maintain balance with the weapon in her hand (which was elegant, albeit comically oversized for her tiny body). Rinko looked focused, but not the dark, violent focus that Kuroko saw when Rinko was in the mindset to kill. The girl looked almost peaceful.

Kuroko dumped her bags on the table as quietly as possible, not in the mood to disturb them. Chiyo looked over at her as she started to pull out pots and pans, and looked like she was about to come over to help her, but Kuroko shook her head and waved for her to keep going.

Around the corner, Hinako watched from behind a door frame with a twinkle in her eye.

**Author's Note:**

> Writing what amounts to domestic fluff for a gory manga about serial killers was not my first plan, but then I re-read the Domestic Killer arc and...it happened.


End file.
